Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell and Margo Price Join Mickey Raphael for Country Summit in Nashville (Videos)

Perennial sideman Mickey Raphael was allowed to take center stage on Tuesday evening Brooklyn Bowl Nashville than lifelong Willie Nelson and family harmonica players played the first headlining concert of his career. After spending half a century supporting other legendary artists, Raphael experienced his own George Bailey moment as high-profile collaborators and admirers from all generations showed up to honor the man who spent his life serving other musicians.

The packed line-up also included country music megastars Chris Stapleton and his backing band The honchosrevered singer-songwriters Jason Isbell And Margo Price, Currently top guitarist Billy F Gibbonsformer Miles Davis saxophonist Bill Evanslegendary producer T Bone Burnettand singer-songwriter Amos Lee, Shelby LynneAnd Waylon Payne. Giving Raphael his own evening in the marquee was the Brooklyn Bowl owner’s idea Pete Shapirowho initially approached Raphael with the idea two years ago.

“I had no ambition to do this, but over time I realized that if I didn’t even try, I would end up on my deathbed wondering why I never took the gig,” Raphael said The Tennessean.

The concert crossed stylistic boundaries as Margo Price alternated between her recent performances Billy Strings Country collaboration “Too Stoned to Cry” and The rolling Stones‘ Disco-tinged “Miss You”. Jason Isbell honored the late folk legend Townes Van Zandt with the immortal “Pancho and Lefty” – accompanied by Raphael on accordion – as well as his own “Strawberry Woman”, with Raphael adding just as he did with Isbell’s brilliant harmonica Weather vanes from last year.

Billy F. Gibbons kicked up some West Texas dust as he strolled across the stage, remarking, “You’ve been tiptoeing around this blues thing all night,” before leading The Honchos through BB Kingis the interpretation of the blues classic “Caledonia” and “Gimme All Your Lovin’” by ZZ Top. The stylistic pendulum continued to swing for a jazz excursion led by Bill Evans, who, with help from Waylon Payne, led the band through Miles Davis’ “Jean Pierre” and the ’60s protest anthem “Compared to What.”

The evening came to a rustic conclusion with a few songs from Stapleton, including a soulful “Georgia on My Mind” and “Outlaw State of Mind.” The latter song gives Chris and his wife his name Morgane Stapleton‘s Outlaw State of Kind charity, which benefited from Tuesday’s sold-out show. Finally, Stapleton brought out the entire cast to properly end the evening with Willie Nelson’s “On The Road Again.”

Check out some videos from Mickey Raphael’s All-Star Show at Brooklyn Bowl Nashville. Raphael will reprise his role as sideman when he reunites with Nelson for a series of shows in Florida in February 2025. Tickets and tour dates can be found here.

Chris Stapleton, Mickey Raphael – “Georgia On My Mind” (Hoagy Carmichael, Stuart Gorrell) – 12/03/24

(Video: Michael Wilker)